Fire engulfs Anderson's Clinton, S.C., plant; company says order entry, shipping unaffected

The local fire department responded as about 65 employees made an orderly evacuation from the plant. Finkell said the efforts of firefighters and favorable winds prevented the fire from spreading to the entire plant. "We lost about 40 percent of the site," said Finkell, "The boiler, machining and finishing lines are unscathed. Fortunately, we have duplicate operations for the ones we lost."

Finkell added that order entry and shipping operations are expected to continue without delay from the company's new Simpsonville, S.C., Design Center. The company's fiber-optic cable was burned in the fire, but will be repaired shortly, according to the company. Neither the administrative offices nor the computer system were damaged.